Torres Statement on Guatemala’s Asylum Agreement with the Trump Administration
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement in response to Guatemala signing an asylum agreement with the Trump Administration:
"While there are many questions about what this agreement contains, the most basic question is: if Guatemala is so safe, why do its people flee to our southern border to escape the corruption, violence, and poverty in their homes? The idea that Guatemala would be a safe country for refugees from Cuba, Africa, or other countries is ridiculous and everyone knows it. Once again, the Guatemalan government has chosen to defy the will of its own people to curry favor with the Trump administration. This is an insult to common sense."
Torres, the only Central American serving in Congress, is a member of the powerful House Appropriations and Rules Committees. In March, she introduced the Guatemala Rule of Law Accountability Act to authorize travel and financial sanctions against Guatemalan officials who have engaged in corruption, obstructed justice, misused U.S.-provided equipment, disobeyed Guatemalan Constitutional Court rulings, and interfered with the work of the U.S. government.
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